CHITIN CONTENT OF HIGHER FUNGI

The chitin content of fruit bodies (in some cases caps and stipes) of some higher fungi from different parts of Hungary have been analysed. The following results were obtained. 1. The Aphyllophorales species which are xilophagous, wood-rotting fungi, have a lower chitin content. The other species (Boletales, Agaricales, Russulales) have a significantly higher (8-9% of dry mass) chitin content in the fruit bodies. 2. The difference in chitin content of systematically different fungal groups can be explained by different types of nutrition (wood-rotting, saprotrophic and mykorrhiza fungi). The woodrotting species have a significantly lower, the others a higher one. 3. Although only a few cap and stipe samples were analysed, in caps a higher chitin content was found and in stipes a lower one. 4. The chitin content of the investigated fungal species is important information for the digestibility and use of some edible fungi.